Planning your curriuclum and the units inside that curriculum is a big task and it's nice to get new ideas from other teachers who have been there, right? So the #2ndaryELA community came together to discuss this topic recently and here is their best advice.
You can join in on the conversation too! We'd love to see you Tuesday night at 8pm EST! We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group (even if you aren't on Twitter). 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.
Q1: Do you begin planning with the standards first? What does that look like? #2ndaryELA
A1: We plan using a standards map by semester to make sure we get them all (in theory!) #2ndaryELA
A1: I like to begin with a text that I know they will enjoy based on their interests then I find standards that go along with the text. #2ndaryela
A1: Our district just went through the curriculum mapping process for ELA. We look at state assessment data & blueprints from ODE to determine which were the tested standards. Then we were able to map the standards by each quarter. #2ndaryela
A1: No! I begin planning with asking students their dreams and goals for their lives. I plan around student passion and dreams. I then create lessons with the standards that fit around the individualized goals of the kids I teach. #2ndaryELA
A1: We are given a scope & sequence that dictates what standards are to be taught when. Now they've added daily lesson plans that some schools choose to use. #2ndaryELA
Q2: Do you plan on your own or with a team? How does that work? #2ndaryELA
A2: I love asking sts what they are passionate about. Most often, reading/writing aren't on the list, so I then try to make the connection between their passions and what they could read #2ndaryela
A2 This year I'll be part of a team of 3 6th grade teachers. Not sure how much we'll plan together yet #2ndaryELA
A2 cont I also have some special events related to reading I'll do once a trimester: book tasting, blind date with a book, reading in the wild #2ndaryELA
A2: We plan the focus standards for each trimester/semester in teams, then some teachers choose to collaborate and plan the details while others don't. #2ndaryELA
A2: I plan with a team of 7th & 8th grade teachers from all the feeder schools at the beginning of the year and we continue to stay in touch via email and meetings throughout the year. We share ideas and help each other out when we need the extra support. #2ndaryela
Q3: Are there specific requirements for your plans and/or lessons? #2ndaryELA
Q3: We have a lot of freedom, which is amazing! The only issue is with that freedom, we do not purchase ELA curriculum, so we work together to find the best resources/texts/strategies/etc. It's a lot of work, but it is usually better for the students. #2ndaryELA
A3: The requirements on my lesson plans are to include standards and what the students will be doing to learn this concept. #2ndaryela
A3: We do not have a specific format but we are encouraged to identify the learning target for each lesson #2ndaryELA
Q4: How do you map out the year to ensure all standards are taught before the state test? #2ndaryELA
A4 I'm thinking about doing a literary skills boot camp before we start the year to get students familiar with those terms before we jump into a whole class novel. For writing, using mentor texts, graphic organizers and checklists helps. #2ndaryELA
A4 I make a spreadsheet with the standards in columns and our novel units in the rows. I x off when I've covered each standard during each unit. #2ndaryELA
A4: We use a year-long calendar, put on any non-teaching dates, then use a standards checklist. We match the checklist to our units, then start fixing any gaps. #2ndaryELA
A4: Since we curriculum mapped, the scope and sequence of the standards is set for the entire year building wide (6th, 7th, 8th). #2ndaryELA
A4: ELA teachers from all the schools meet at the beginning of the year, we map out every 6 weeks to be sure we have all the standards taught before testing. Even though we have a plan, it doesn't ensure every standard is taught to the degree it needs to be. #2ndaryela
Q5: How do you assess as your progress through a unit? #2ndaryELA
A5: I use my standards checklist as a guide. I don't check off until a set % mastery is achieved. Easy at-a-glance way to determine what may need reteaching. I use many various types of assessments throughout each unit. #2ndaryELA
A5: We have several benchmarks we give throughout the year to check comprehension of the standard. #2ndaryela
A5: I like to let students self-assess throughout the unit, especially in terms of their specific writing goals for that unit #2ndaryela
A5: We assess with formative quizzes and things like Plickers and then summative assessments by standards. #2ndaryELA